A police officer with over 20 years of service has been dismissed without notice for slapping the bottoms of two female colleagues.
Leeds-based PC Kevin Wood of West Yorkshire Police was said to be 'vastly senior' to the two officers, both of whom were very young officers with limited service. The incidents took place between January 2019 and May 2021 when he was on duty.
One of the incidents took place outside Pudsey police station, Leeds, potentially in view of members of the public. A police misconduct panel concluded that there was no sexual motivation for the behaviour but the conduct was "sexist and directed at young female officers."
Read more: Double murder probe launched as bodies of man and woman found in flat
The panel's judgment, published on the Force website, said PC Wood's conduct was repeated and took place over a period of time. He could not have failed to realise his behaviour was 'highly improper' as he was challenged repeatedly yet continued to slap one of the officers.
The panel said: "There was very limited insight by PC Wood in respect of his gross misconduct which he sought to inappropriately minimise simply as workplace banter."
The panel said the behaviour was "sexist, demeaning and an intrusion into personal space."
It added: "Sexist, misogynistic behaviour in the workplace is a national concern of society generally. It is a particular concern of police forces who try to combat such behaviour..."
The panel decided that PC Wood should be dismissed without notice.
"The Panel considered that the gross misconduct was so serious that the only adequate sanction to fulfill the aims, objectives and purposes of the misconduct regime was dismissal without notice."
Read more:
